Shameless Obama orders pay hikes as “cliff” looms

The Weekly Standard tells the sordid tale of Obama’s indefensible pay hikes for federal workers, judges, members of congress and even the clownish Vice President, Joe Biden — in the wake of “fiscal cliff” negotiations.

That cliff is suddenly beginning to resemble a bona fide hoax.

Obama’s 12-page executive order showing the hefty increases is available here. Check out the Biden’s tax 1040 form here.

And take the time to read FedSmith, for the in-depth back story to this outrage.

Earlier this month, Seeing Red AZ detailed the 33% pay increase* — an extra $78,000 a year — Phoenix City Manager, David Cavazos received, boosting him to a base salary of $315,000 a year, plus a $600 monthly car allowance, $35,000 a year in deferred compensation, and a $4,000 “longevity” bonus.

In 2010 cash-strapped Phoenix instituted a 2 % tax on food in order for the city to continue to function — or so we were told. The scare tactics and gamesmanship included threats to eliminate union firefighters, police officers and teaching positions, although they had recently been funded by a sales tax increase. But sticking it to the citizenry is nothing new for Phoenix, which hasn’t had a fiscally responsible mayor in years, with Democrats in charge.

In December 2009, with record job losses and homes in foreclosure, $14.3 million was paid in “retention bonuses” to nearly 14,000 city employees. This, as the City Council cut $270 million, or 22 percent, from Phoenix’s general-fund budget, including $156 million from programs and services in order, they claimed, to balance the city budget.

Whether on the federal or city level, or anything in-between, think of yourself as the gullible golden goose when you look in the mirror while getting ready for work each morning. If you voted for any of these people, that’s how they view you and you can surely do no less.

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16 Responses to Shameless Obama orders pay hikes as “cliff” looms

The fiscal cliff is an absurdity, meant as theater for the American public who gullibly voted for Obama, and installed liberal partisans in the House and Senate. The problem we face have been brought on by excessive spending, that shows no signs of abating. In fact, the monstrous growth in spending is just rearing its ugly head with the implementation of socialized ObamaCare. The so-called negations to avert the so-called fiscal cliff are pure staging. The amount of book cooking these handwringers will give us is less than a week of reprieve.

And Phoenix? As a native who loves Arizona, I think I have earned the right to say we have the same level of duplicitous clowns running the city. The council members were onboard with the “retention” raises, and the $78,000 raise, (excluding bonuses and perks!!) to city manager David Cavazos. No one has ever made a case for “retention” increases in a dismal economy. Where do they think these already overpaid union workers are going to go? The council gives lip service to the food tax, but it will not be going away.

in my view they can all go to hell. None of them work for us. They work for themselves and their own continued employment. They’ve been at the public trough so long, they couldn’t function in the real world.

Teary John Boehner and the Republicans are as irrelevant as any of the Democrats. I agree that this is staging for American voters who have already abdicated their responsibilities for what they consider ease. And the Republicans who didn’t vote are equally culpable. Those who were so convinced they couldn’t support a Mormon, elected Obama. I blame them all. I also lay responsibility at the feet of those at the highest levels of the GOP who think there is wisdom in fielding losing candidates such as Bob Dole and John McCain. I suspect they are Dems in not very good disguise.

In addition to the factors you have mentioned, you might also consider looking into the issue of the integrity of our voting processes, LD 7 PC. Think about it for a minute. If everything, right down the line, were perfect in terms of candidates and campaigns, the ability to steal elections would completely negate all of that. If we understand that fact, Liberals understand it as well and their motto is “by any means necessary”! ;-)

We have a nation that has its hands out. Fifty-one percent of Americans are now receiving some type of check from the government. Unemployment payments that last for 99 weeks provide no incentive for working. If it takes two part-time jobs to make ends meet, then get out and do it. My father did that when times were tough, but today’s pansies are too addicted to their ‘bread and circuses,’ which were what brought down ancient Rome.

In 140 B.C. Roman satirist. Juvenal referred to the practice of providing free wheat and expensive circuses, games and other entertainment to the masses as a means of gaining and retaining political power. Nothing has changed.

This is a translation of Juvenal‘s so relevant statement: “Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.“

The Referundum process needs to be used to role back ALL State, County, and City wages and cut benefits, including uniformed. Unless and until this happens taxes will only increase and the politic ans will only laugh.

I essentially agree with you on this one, Westnash. There is a plethora of documentation that public sector compensation exceeds private sector compensation. The biggest part of the gap in the compensation packages comes in the form of retirement benefits. That is where taxpayers take the biggest hit. Why?

Private sector retirement accounts, like the 401K, are market based and generally produce a return on investment of 2-3%. Public sector retirement accounts GUARANTEE a payout by government which greatly exceeds the return typically realized in a market based account. Even if public sector retirement account investments underperform, the government STILL has to pay out the guaranteed amount to beneficiaries. Where does the money to bridge the gap come from? From you and from me; taxpayers!

The city of Racine, Wisconsin, tried to alter the terms of it’s contracts with city employees. The employees sued for breach of contract and a judge found in their favor. Racine doesn’t have the funds to meet the payroll, on a continuing basis, and state law caps taxes so that Racine can’t raise taxes to address the shortfall. The point being that referenda are a good idea but lawsuits will result and Liberal judges will, of course, decide against taxpayers.

My sister brags about voting for Obama. She is a NEA union member who was among the huge group of teachers who voted themselves raises in their dues to send to the Obama campaign. I love her, but respecting her is out of the question. She and her cohorts influence America’s children on a daily basis. I’d be less than truthful if I didn’t admit her politics has affected our previously warm relationship.

In the above article, SRAZ has made a quiet but exceedingly important observation: “Our cash-strapped nation emulates Phoenix, broke and handing out raises.” In which direction the emulation is going isn’t important. What is important is that we are seeing exactly the same paradigm on the local level that we are seeing on the national level. The questions are:

1 – Do you think this to be coincidental or do you think it is part of a coordinated plan of action spanning government from the local level to the federal level?

2 – If you think this to be a coordinated action, what do you see as it’s purpose and what do you see as the motives behind it?

Euby:
As usual you’ve nailed the problem with clarity. I firmly believe this is part of a coordinated effort to blur the lines of government from the lowest to the highest levels. As a perfect example, look no further than Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, He is being hounded by the Obama administration’s Justice Department, AND by valley city police chiefs, all of whom are loathe to enforce immigration laws and arrest those in our state illegally. The motives? We’re talking about Democrats who want to ensure reelection. Although the police chiefs (often acting against the wishes of the rank and fie officers) are appointed rather than elected, they are appointed by liberal mayors and councils…none of whom want to risk incurring Hispanic wrath at the polls. So they continue to act in a manner adverse to the majority in order to appeal to the minority. To ask “what is it about illegal that don’t you understand” merits a wrist slapping editorial or a pounding by Linda Valdez in the state’s largest newspaper, the AZ Repulsive. I fear for my children, and theirs in the future. Jon Kyl, John Shadegg (both thankfully now gone from the political scene) John McCain and Jeff Flake are all part of this deception being perpetrated on Arizona and America. Too many Republicans don’t see the complete picture and believe the rhetoric. I’ll add a cautionary “watch out for Bill Montgomery.” He’s politically ambitious and already sounding McFlakish, equivocating on the issue of illegal immigration and backing further away from Sheriff Arpaio.

I don’t think it’s coordinated (some, but not most). However, it is definitely no coincidence. When elected officials who know they won’t get thrown out of office for giving themselves or their friends and political allies big raises and other generous government funding, they will bilk the taxpayers for as much as they can get. All that money dished out has a percentage coming back into the campaign funds of liberals.

Liberals don’t need to coordinate since they are all trying to bilk taxpayers for their own benefit. Sometimes they do in order to be more effective with their attacks on taxpayers, but that’s the sort of thing they normally do. Since they all do it, it seems like coordination even when there isn’t any. In some respects, that’s actually worse than if they did coordinate. They all work together against the taxpayers even without coordination because they mostly think alike.

This issue is the opportunity for the Republican’s or Tea Party, or Libertarian’s to get involved and roll back wages and benefits for public workers. It has to be ALL public workers and that is where people start to mist over, thinking about “poor” firemen, policemen, and teachers…all of who have a better deal than the average Arizonian. Do it on the basis of fiscal issues and the party might become relevant again.

The one lone councilman who voted against the City Manager increase was Jim Waring.